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By the time she was 7, Hannah Whelan had already lived in three countries! On July 1st 1992 Hannah was born in Singapore, where the Whelan family lived until Hannah was 2. At six-years-old Hannah's mother finally gave in to her begging to join a gym club as she was always doing cartwheels in Tesco! Hannah enrolled st South Manchester gym and was coached by Helen Hall. A year later and Hannah's family moved to Houston, Texas, USA, where Hannah continued with her gymnastics and followed the compulsory levels, achieving a top-twenty place at Texas State finals at 8yrs old. One of her favourite experiences of living in Texas was attending the Karolyi Ranch - where Bela Karolyi would act was car-park attendant during sign-in! Hannah has stayed in touch with the friends she made in the USA and has been back to train with them on three occasions since returning to the UK in 2001.
Upon return to England, Hannah followed her original coach Helen Hall to Central Manchester Institute of Gymnastics. She missed level 4 but then moved again with Helen to Vernon Park in Stockport; Barry and Chris McLaughlin's new gym. Success followed over the next 3 years under guidance of Barry & Helen, including Level 3 NW team bronze at National Voluntary 3 final, NW Regional champion at vol Level 2 &and after a top-10 finish at Nationals Hannah was selected for World Class Start. At the 2005 British Espoir Championships Hannah was 4th overall and made 3 apparatus finals, finishing just outside the medals on bars and floor. In the autumn of 2005 Hannah moved to The City of Liverpool Club where she is now trained by award-winning coach Sarah Attwell.
Free time is scarce for Hannah, but she enjoys watching TV and hanging out with her friends when she gets chance. Hannah is not the only Whelan involved in gymnastics. Her older sister Sophie (17) has just recently retired from gymnastics and is now coaching, and Karen, Hannah's mum, is a coach and judge. Hannah's Dad is called Mike, and her brother Rob (18) has just started at Liverpool St. John Moores University. Hannah doesn't have any pets but would love a dog! Her favourite food is Chinese, and she loves Kelly Clarkson and Girls Aloud songs. Hannah does well in school and enjoys PE, Art and English. Her favourite TV programmes are Friends and Sponge Bob. Her favourite apparatus is floor, and her future goals for her gymnastics career is to do as best she can and to represent Great Britain.
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